Lurking

Anyone who has lost a substantial amount of weight, see (http://the45thyear.blogspot.com/2010/06/then-now-100-lbs-down.html) knows that the fat suit is never far away. That former self lurks just around the corner, usually sitting on the couch eating holiday baking or having "just one more drink." We all know or have seen someone get in shape for some event, a wedding, birthday or run or ride only to achieve the goal and then slip. Not unusual at all, unfortunately many of the things that allow some of us to lose the weight in the first place, like obsession (sometimes we call it discipline!) have both a positive and a destructive side. One good thing you do gain though is awareness and I am all of sudden all too aware of some very negative stuff creeping back in. The occasional treat has turned to regular holiday treats, a beer or wine to several, daily!! and the reasons to miss workouts seem so much more rationale than they did when I was pushing for the 100 lb loss and then to run a half marathon. I need to realize that the guy who gained 100 plus pounds in the first place is still with me and that's OK I like him, but I don't like the way his habits made me feel. So to slip up is human, to do nothing about it, well at least for me is unforgivable. No waiting, no elaborate planning, no start on Monday or the new year, next week..fill in your favorite! I know what to do... move and eat well and just enough, hydrate often: end of story. So good day lots of water, lots of greens, lots of vegetables and lean protein and a good 45 minute trail run. Feel better already, even the fat guy seems to like this feeling!

Complacency

Sometimes we forget why we started things. I've had a good year so far, made my long term 100 lb weight loss target, ran my first 1/2 marathon, did a self supported sprint tri and had some great long rides, even played some decent tennis. BUT the 45th year is about something more. My first post said

 "I've committed to making my 45th year my fittest year yet." Not to have a good year, not to be a bit fitter but fittest ever. So time to move forward on the bigger goal. I'm lingering at 225 ish lbs but see some old habits creeping back in. A few less work outs a little less care with diet a few too many beers, one word really complacency.  Yeah I'm healthier than the past, healthier than a lot of guys my age but that wasn't what I committed to. Time to ramp it up. 7 more months of being 45 left so no time to waste. I want to see how lean I can get. I have a great base so time to ramp up the fitness, and clamp down the diet. I haven't been below 200 lbs since I was 20 so not sure if that is possible but challenge goals are only fun challenging if there is a chance of failure. So I putting it out there my goal is a lean 199 by my 46th birthday. Details to follow!

Then & Now 100 lbs down

So this morning the Monday morning weigh in confirmed that I am 100 lbs less than the day I found myself weighing 324 lbs in a Dallas Mall. 

Many of us love the before and after pictures, the crazy changes, I hesitated to post those before shots; before and after implies some sort of completion. This whole thing, the 45th year IS NOT about losing weight but changing that focus to getting fit, fueling smart and performing. The weight was a barrier, I'm not running much, not being injury free at 324 lbs but I'm also not finished at 224. I think having a lb based end point is dangerous. I'm eating and exercising in a way I hope to continue in some form for the greater part of the next 45 years. So for me there will be no after. That being said man was I fat! check out these shots from 8 yrs ago!

then-not a bulky jacket!

Then -the most activity i was getting!

now

 I'm sure rapid weight loss can happen and I applaud anyone who does that but this was not a quick fix. I gradually regained healthy eating habits and will continue to improve (Kaizen baby!) bit by bit. I'm feeling great returning to being an athlete and that is the focus for the 45th year to get fit and to learn to push, endure, compete, inspire, rejoice and recover. Much fun to come! So as the preseason comes to an end the scale takes a back seat to the focus on sustained healthy living and activity.

The final push

I'm onto the final push. almost a decade ago I was in Dallas for work hitting all you can eat BBQ and drinking beer specials as long as they kept serving me. For some reason I stepped on a mall pay a dollar get your weight scale. It read 324 lbs. Well since then I've quit my job, went back to school to get a PhD moved across the country and managed to stay married (my spouse is insane, but I so happy she is!). Oh and I'm within 5 lbs of dropping 100 lbs. I called this adventure project 100 even wrote it on the back of my XXL under armour shirts. Last week I wrote it on my newest shirt a L. I'm on the final push working on a perfect couple of weeks to get to that goal then the scale goes away and I concentrate on eating well, and getting into the best shape of my life. Pretty cool, thanks to everyone and they are so many of you that helped. But without my wife, Mary this never would have happened. Thank you so much, pretty good chance you'll have me around a lot longer now as well, hope that is OK with you!

Soul surfer and the art of working out

So in my working life I study leisure, no not a typo, I have a PhD in Recreation and Leisure Studies and teach/research at a local university. More on that later, but one of the things I'm really interested in is why people do, and continue with certain activities. I'm really fascinated by this idea of doing things just because, true intrinsic motivation.  The whole soul surfer idea, surfers or snow boarders who don't compete but just look for challenges out there. Been watching a great video podcast on this kind of person (check out http://www.theseasontv.com/) also http://www.zentriathlon.com/ also seems to get this, plus he is entertaining as hell! This idea of pursuing excellence but not necessarily in a formal organized competitive,way is really cool. One summer i had a chance to golf early often by myself and loved the idea of not keeping score but just getting that perfect felling of hitting a great shot or even creating interesting and challenging situation on the course to try. Same with tennis for me, nothing like getting into the rhythm of hitting tons of balls just trying for the perfect sound, feel and swing.

  Being the analytic sort I've discovered a pattern that my pursuit of a leisure activities seems to be inversely related to the precision of my plan and the formality of an event! Sign up for a century ride and my bike gathers dust, develop an intricate couch to 5 k plan with ever second timed out and the couch wins. I have enough of a psychology background to know that we could talk about fear of failure or success and goal avoidance and a whole bunch of stuff but really looking at this I think the answer is pretty simple. I really hate to add external incentives to my favorite activities. In the past I loved to play tennis for hours and hours a day as a kid and teen and then I taught tennis and eventually it became my full time job, a dream job to some but it started to kill my passion for the sport. A passion I'm just getting back nearly 20 years later.

This whole idea of soul athletes is something I'm develop a research project one, so if you are one of them send me an email love to talk to you!

So this year, the up coming year of 45, I'm trying to get that athletic soul back! I'm still having goals but the plans will be much looser and the events will be viewed more like challenges (just words but we all know words can be very powerful), my plan will be to get out there and take on challenges as they come (some will be events but the training will be focus NOT the ultimate performance on the day) if I feel good I'll ride a bit more, still push through the tough days but no 1 min intervals or power monitors, sorry Chris Carmichael, just time and mileage and even not that some days.

Now if you read the last post on food good in chance in June that I'll be presenting my rational for a detailed half marathon program!!! but for now my goals are pretty straight forward. As my fitness improves more specific training may be needed but maybe I can just do the soul sport thing, constantly challenging myself to get better everyday, sounds kinda corny but also like a whole lot of fun!

FITNESS COMMITMENTS

Walk every day

Light flex/yoga in the am and pm

Breathe hard and get sweating at least a couple of times a week

Work on getting stronger a couple of times a week.

And so it begins

April 1st, the day  training camp begins. Always loved the idea of spring training just never really acted much on it, as you might guess coming from a former 324lber!  Training camp runs from April 1 to June 20. 81 days to get ready to get fit, sounds a bit excessive but I am smart enough and old enough to realize that at 44 you need to build slowly and with a plan if you want to move forward. I'm following an older Outside Magazine article, http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/200205/200205shape_of_your_life.html for the next three months. Essentially it is a pretty basic program with interval workouts 3 times a week and strength training twice a week. I'm playing with it a bit to adapt to my issues like a touchy back and adding in getting back on the tennis court and getting in a longer bike ride on the weekends.

The starting numbers are:
weight 243 lbs
chest 45 inches
waist 44 inches
hips 46 inches

By June 20 I plan to have the following numbers.
weight  219
chest 44
waist 39
hips 43

What is the 45th year?

The 45th year is a chance for me to document a personal challenge I've set for mid life.  As summer comes in 2010 I'll hit the age of 45, just a number, but also an opportunity. I've committed to make my  45th year my fittest year yet.  My 35th year was not so great, my weight had risen to an all time high of 324 lbs, likely higher since I gave up the scale soon after. I was in a job I hated, cranky, had constant back pain, and was just plain unhappy. Nearly 10 years later I've quit the job, moved across the country (twice), worked to get a PhD and now have a job as a professor in beautiful Victoria BC where I live with my ever patient and adventurous wife Mary, 2 highly adaptable boys JP and Cam and our internet adoptee, Wrangler, an awesome black lab.  

I've whittled the weight down to 240 lbs and will get past the hundred pound loss mark by my birthday on June 21st.  Although the birthday isn't until summer, for me April 1, 2010 is the start of preseason training camp (sorry the sport analogies just seem to come out). Over the next few months I'll outline the challenges and adventures I hope to achieve in the 45th year and maybe even get some advice and suggestions for new and interesting challenges. Already in 2010 I've been surfing in New Zealand and kayaking in Australia, not a big deal for some but in my 35th year I was deathly afraid of the water and couldn't swim at all.
My goal is to publish regular updates on the challenges, fitness and nutrition plans as well as the upturns and I'm sure downturns of getting into the shape of my life at 45. Hope you come along.